Fire escape



Oct. 6, 1931. R. M. STEPHENS 1,826,263

FIRE ESCAPE Filed April 8, 1930 Patented Oct. 6, 1931- .UMN'IT-.En TES .rma ESCAPE keppiicati-m mea April s, 1930. swarm. 442,571.

The! invention relatesto improvements in fire'escapesaifld-anl object of the invention is to provide a fire escape forahuilding which embodies ananchoredrope or line anda fric tionniember'mountedl on the Vrope'for suspending the one escaping and tofarrange the escape fso-, .that it Vis absolutely. impossible for the one escaping to initially drop'and possible for him to-controlhis falling speed as he -de'- V30 sires andlin fact stop at lany point-as he Wishes. Y l Afu'rther object/is to construct the fire escape'lso that the friction member thereof initially grips the line or rope sufficiently to holdlthe same fromlslipping and-'such that Whenthe one escaping iii-st thrusts' his Weight tothe rope he will be positively held and cannot descend until he desires to do so.

VA further object is to construct vthe lire escape Jsuch'that the gripion theropewhen descending `is directly proportional to the Weight of the person ldescending-provided of course the party descending does not actuatef thev mechanism provided fordiminish- .25 ing. the grip.

YAY further object is to construct the device inaesirnple, durable and inexpensive manner aindfso that the various parts can be readily assembled and replaced-if such be necessary.

f. With the above more important and other minorobjects inview Which will become 'more apparent as the description proceedathe invention'consists essentially in the arrangement andi-construction of parts hereinafter v merefparticularly described, reference bein-g had to lthe accompanying drawings, in Whichtn lFig. lis a side view of ,the iire'escape.

A V"litiga 2 is a-vplan lview of the parts asthey "10 appear in Figure l.

VVFig. f3 is anenlarged detailed vertical Asectional view'at 3"#3Figure l.

Fig. 4is an-enlarged detailed plan view of n theparts appearing in Figure g2 with the out- 445 erl'ends cf the 'levers broken away.

to the buil-ding in 4anysiiitable manner.

Fig. Y5 is anenlarged detailedhorzontal sectional View at 515'Figure 1.

Fig. 6 is a. perspective View of the sleeve.

'In the 'drawingslike `characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the sev 50 eral figures.

Itis desirable thatfthis fire escape have one vend ofthe rope, cable or 'linef thereof permanently fastenedl to the building in a location ladjacent the windoworother outlets@ that .the free end of the ropecan be readily thrown Yout thelWindoW topermita person to escape hy; descendingthe-rope. Therope, cable or line l Will beofalength suchthat itwill-carry the person Vfrom the peint of exit to the 6L ground and the Iupper'endl-of theropey as before stated will be permanentlyanchored On thecropefrmount 3a sliding ymember which supports the person from the rope when 65 escaping and lcoinprisesthe parts non7 described.

A head-ZisprOVided andthe head is supplied 4with la vertical circular bore or hole 8 and Opposing pairs of upstanding side lugs 70 45 5, 6 and@V the lugs carrying pivot pins 8 and 9 which ivotallysupport the upper innel' ends ofk c ownwardlyand .outwardly VeX- tending similar handlevers l0 and ll, the levers having their outer ends enlarged to provide convenient giipsland 13. Tor the upper ends of the levers','l permanently fasten the outstanding ends` of fa short length, binding ineinber lisuch as of Wire or cable which cable Vis centrally-looped ,around the .upper longitudinally splitfend :of a sleeve l5 which has Ithe lewer end frictionally driven into thefbore 8 .and `the-Split end extending above the head. f

It will be observed that the outstanding ends of .thezcable are tangential to the sleeve and that the arrangement is such that one .can byv simultaneously kpulling downwardly on the extending ends of the levers, cause the loop of the cable 14 to draw tightly around the sleeve and compress the same.

The rope 1 is passed through the sleeve with the result that a` down pulling of the levers causes the sleeve to grip the rope, the amount of grip being directly proportional to the force applied in a downward direction on the free ends of the levers.

Suitable means is provided for supporting the person, such being herein shown as a compartively wide belt 16 provided with a suspending ring 17 and a sliding band 18. The belt will be passed around the body in a location underlying the arm pits, the band 18 being at such time adjacent the ring 17. After the belt has been so placed on the body, the band 18 will be pulled towards the body to lie adjacent the breast and friction is relied upon to hold the band in such position. The ring 17 is caught on a swivelled snap hoop 19 carried by an eye 20 and the eye is attached to the levers by connecting` links 21 and 22.

A tension spring 23 underlies the head and has the ends thereof connected to the levers and the spring is of such a strength that it will cause a sufficient pull on the ends of the cable 14 to make the split end of the sleeve grip the rope so that the sleeve will remain when not in use where it is placed on the rope and a quick and positive grip will be effected when the weight of the user is initially applied. To make this clear, I may say that the friction member will be set on the rope prior to usage in the most convenient position for the user desiring to escape and that after the user has adjusted the belt and trusted his weight to the device, the device will immediately tightly grip under the imposed weight. In the normal position of the article, that is, with no weight imposed thereon, the links 21 and 22 are held horizontally, axially aligned and at such time as aforesaid, the spring is causing an initial grip of the sleeve on the line.

Subsequently when the person -escaping imposes his weight on the levers, the lower ends of t-he levers are pulled inwardly by the links and the friction grip exerted on the line is in direct proportion to the imposed weight and this is sul'licient to positively prevent any sliding movement of the device on the rope. Such an arrangement naturally insures conlidence in the device.

When the person is ready to descend and assuming his weight is suspended by the device, he grasps the lower ends of the levers and shoves them outwardly and upwardly and as he does so, he relieves the grip on the rope and the speed at which he descends will depend entirely on the amount the levers are shoved up. Obviously if one become excited due to falling too fast, he will naturally let go of the levers and immediately he does this, the line will be instantaneously tightly gripped and his falling movement will be arrested as at such time his weight will be acting through the levers to cause the sleeve to grip the line.

The amount of initial grip on the rope can obviously be set by choosing a spring of desired tension. Obviously should a person descending force the levers to their outer pair of levers pivotally carried by the head,

a binding member enveloping the friction member and attached to the levers and means for suspending a person from the levers.

' 2, In a fire escape, the combination with a suspending line, of a head slidably mounted on the line, a compressible friction member carried by the head and engageable with the line, a pair of levers pivotally attached to the head, a binding member enveloping the friction member and attached to the levers and means for suspending a person from the ends gf the levers remote from the binding mem- 3. In a lire escape, the combination with a -suspending line, of 'a head slidably mounted on the line, a compressible friction member carried by the head and receiving the line, a pair of opposed downwardly diverging levers having their upper ends pivotally attached to the opposite sides of the head, a binding member enveloping the friction member and having the ends thereof fastened to the upper ends of the levers and means for suspending a person from the lower ends of the levers.

4. In a fire escape, the combination with a suspending line, of a head slidably mounted on the line, a compressible friction member carried by the head and receiving the line, a pair of opposed downwardly diverging levers having their upper ends pivotally attached to the opposite sides of the head, a binding member enveloping the friction member and having the ends thereof fastened to the upper ends of the levers, a. connection between the lower ends of the levers limiting their out swung position and means for suspending a person from said connection.

5. In a lire escape, the combination with a suspending line, of a head slidably mounted on the line, a compressible friction member carried by the head and receivinr the line, a pair of opposed downwardly diverging levers having their upper ends pivotally attached to the opposite sides of the head, a binding member enveloping the friction member and having the ends` thereof fastened to the upper ends of the levers, a oonnection between the lower ends of the levers limiting their out swung position, means for suspending a person from said connection and a tension spring underlying the head and connecting the levers and designed to effect through the levers, binding member and friction member an initial biting of the line.

Signed at Winnipeg this 27 day of December, 1929.

ROBERT M. STEPHENS. 

